[General] Hello! How are you?

[paysage57]

A very common question... but I'm not sure how to answer properly:

1. "I'm fine, thank you! And you?"

2. "I'm fine, thank you! And yourself?"

3. "I'm fine, thank you! How about you?"

4. "I'm fine, thank you! How are you?"


To be honest I use these 4 responses alternatively. Which one(s) is (are) correct?

Someone told me it was the 4th anwser, but it sounds stange to my ears to repeat the same question like a retarded person (no offense)...

Thank you

Guillaume

 

[SoothingDave]

Any of those are fine.

 

[BobSmith]

Personally, I like to respond with "What's the haps?"

 

[billmcd]

A very common question... but I'm not sure how to answer properly:

1. "I'm fine, thank you! And you?"

2. "I'm fine, thank you! And yourself?"

3. "I'm fine, thank you! How about you?"

4. "I'm fine, thank you! How are you?"


To be honest I use these 4 responses alternatively. Which one(s) is (are) correct?

Someone told me it was the 4th anwser, but it sounds stange to my ears to repeat the same question like a retarded person (no offense)...

Thank you

Guillaume

You will hear any of your examples in AmE. I would usually use #1.

 

[billmcd]

Personally, I like to respond with "What's the haps?"

I have never heard that one. But as a greeting, both as a question and as response, I might hear "What's happening?" OR more frequently here in NE U.S. "How ya doin?"

 

[BobSmith]

more frequently here in NE U.S. "How ya doin?"

Or "How's it goin'?"

 

[emsr2d2]

A very common question... but I'm not sure how to answer properly:

1. "I'm fine, thank you! And you?"

2. "I'm fine, thank you! And yourself?"

3. "I'm fine, thank you! How about you?"

4. "I'm fine, thank you! How are you?"


To be honest I use these 4 responses alternatively. Which one(s) is (are) correct?

Someone told me it was the 4th anwser, but it sounds stange to my ears to repeat the same question like a retarded person (no offense)...

Thank you

Guillaume

There's no right or wrong answer. All four of your suggestions are fine. There is certainly nothing wrong with repeating the question as you did in #4. There are plenty of alternatives.

Hello. How are you?
Good thanks. You?
I'm fine ta. How are you doing?
I'm all right. You all right?
I'm OK. How are you?

I could go on. I won't.

 

[Barb_D]

"Fine, thanks. You?" is probably my most common response (similar to #2 on ems's list above).

Note that it doesn't matter if your back is killing you, you just got a $300 vet bill to remove a splinter from your dog's paw, your unemployed brother-in-law just asked if he could stay an additional three weeks on your couch, and you found a positive pregnancy test in your teenage daughter's bathroom. The answer is still "Fine, thanks."

 

[emsr2d2]

"Fine, thanks. You?" is proably my most common response (similar to #2 on ems's list above).

Note that it doesn't matter if you're back is killing you, you just got a $300 vet bill to remove a splinter from your dog's paw, your unemployed brother-in-law just asked if he could stay an additional three weeks on your couch, and you found a positive pregnancy test in your teenage daughter's bathroom. The answer is still "Fine, thanks."

Rare typo from BarbD - underlined above should be "your".

 

[Barb_D]

Oh, sadly, I wish it were a rarity... but I rival Jed for these things. I had planned to start with "you're looking at a $300 vet bill... " and then I switched gears. In speech, it would have gone unnoticed...

 

[shannico]

Or if you're not feeling particularly optimistic you could say "Not (too) bad, thanks!"

As far as informal greetings go, I prefer

How's it going?
How are things?
How are you keeping?

"Fine, thanks. You?" is proably my most common response (similar to #2 on ems's list above).

Note that it doesn't matter if you're back is killing you, you just got a $300 vet bill to remove a splinter from your dog's paw, your unemployed brother-in-law just asked if he could stay an additional three weeks on your couch, and you found a positive pregnancy test in your teenage daughter's bathroom. The answer is still "Fine, thanks."

 

[BobSmith]

The answer is still "Fine, thanks."

Strangely, this is true. However, I've also heard whimsical replies such as

"Oh, fair to middlin'."

 

[Tullia]

A very British reply is "Could be worse!"

 

[Barb_D]

Well, there's also "finer than frog hair." I love it when I say that and people do a double take and just look quizzical. "How fine do you think frog hair is?" I will ask. "Pretty fine?" they reply. "I'd say so!" I can then say "So I must be doing pretty fine!"